SPORT / SPORTS 62 | Olimpijada » Olympics Srbija je svetska sportska velesila, a naš čovek je, zahvaljujući svojoj genetskoj konstituciji, bogomdan da ostvari vrhunske sportske rezultate Serbia is a superpower of world sport and our people, thanks to their genetic constitution, are gifted by God to achieve top sporting results el as they would have been if there was no coronavirus.” You became OCS president in May 2017 and recently gained a second term. Did you expect to achieve such good results? “When taking on the position of president, which is a very responsible function, I knew one fact: that Serbia is a superpower of world sport and that our people, thanks to their genetic constitution, are gifted by God to achieve top sporting results. Together with the team of the Olympic Committee of Serbia, I’m in daily contact with our top athletes and their coaches. Miracles don’t happen in sport; sporting miracles are created through hard work.” How would you assess the quality of Serbian sports? Despite us being a small country, we have great athletes like Jokić, Đoković, Ivana Španović et al. “We cannot rate the quality of Serbian sports on the basis of individuals, rather we must observe the coming period, carry out the reconstruction of some things in our sports and prepare for the Olympic Games in Paris. We must work systemically.” To conclude, how much can you use your experience to help our athletes at major competitions like the Olympic Games? “When I was chosen for this function, extremely experienced people told me in simple words: Thank God that a coach has arrived in this position. All those who’ve sought my advice have receive it on the same day. I’malways at their disposal to helpwithmy experience, without undermining anyone's authority.” The best example is the case of Aleksandar Kukolj… “I advised that clever guy and great athlete to change category. His world championship silver medal confirms that this was the right thing for himto do. It showed that he is on the right track. Our country profited the most, gaining another medal and another representative at the Tokyo Olympics. In Rio 2016 we were represented by just one judoka, while in Tokyo there will be at least four of them. That also testifies to the good work done. As we speak at this moment, 72 athletes have qualified for the Games in Tokyo, and there will be ever more of them as the Games approach.”
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